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Going (did you attend) to Digital Dealer Virtual? What did you think?

David Steinberg from Foureyes here. My session "Change Management in Times of Chaos" is designed to get you thinking about new ways to look at your opportunities. Make sure to check it out on Tuesday, Oct 6th, 2020 | 4:00 PM EDT and/or stop by the Foureyes Booth. We are going to be unveiling a new free tool that allows you to quickly see all the scripts on your website that you may not be aware of.

Also, my friend and co-worker Calvin Mesman from our sister company (Adpearance) will be speaking about "How to Develop, Report, and Optimize Your Digital Advertising for Real ROI" at Tue, Oct 6th, 2020 | 4:45 PM EDT. Calvin is a giant brain and has a pretty incredible framework that should be interesting for anyone trying to understand the ROI of their digital advertising.
 
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I am very happy to be presenting this week at Digital Dealer Virtual. My session "No Vending Machine Required" will help you to position yourself for some of the recent changes in the auto industry by maximizing on used vehicles. You’ll learn how to develop a used vehicle market strategy that attracts and engages prospective buyers and allows your dealership to maximize sales volume and inventory turn, without sacrificing gross profit.

Be sure to watch my presentation, on demand, beginning October 6th: https://jeffreyschwartz.digitaldealervirtual.com/
 
What costs our dealerships immense amounts of resources, both in time and money? Turnover! :banghead:

When you check out my session, "Untapped Talent", you'll take away game changing solutions that will keep your teams motivated and inspired to work toward their goals! Plus you'll gain the added bonus of avoiding frustrations with team members.

What are you waiting for?! My session is available on-demand for FREE for the next 30 days! (C'mon now, you know nothing is free. You had to share your email address and employment details with Digital Dealer to get any type of access. But let's face it, this is as close as it gets to free! :cool:)

https://jennadollingersmith.digitaldealervirtual.com/

Not ready to fully commit?! Okay, I get it- we just met and I'm new here. How about a teaser video?

http://bit.ly/UntappedTalentOnDemand
 
Thanks to everyone that posted their DDV Speaking information.

I too am curious to what attendees thought of the Virtual Conference.

Was it easy to attend the sessions?
Of the sessions that you attended, which was your favorite?
Virtual VS In-Person?
 
It's been a fun/weird experience adapting to the whole virtual conference thing. The sessions were pre recorded and married to the slide deck (really fun sitting alone in your office conjuring the kind of excitement you get from speaking in front of a crowd) which is totally new. A little disappointed with the actual quality of the videos themselves as a requirement from DD.

Our virtual "booth" has produced some appointments and shows some promise for ROI. @Matthew Davis is hard at work on that. We as a company never actually boothed at DD so I can't make a direct comparison. But man, I miss physical shows and the by product of going to them. One of the challenges for us is that physical shows like DD brought a ton of existing clients together at one time, in one place. Not having that convenience is a bit of a challenge.

Looking forward to NADA 2023 when we can actually shake hands again.
 
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It's been a fun/weird experience adapting to the whole virtual conference thing. The sessions were pre recorded and married to the slide deck (really fun sitting alone in your office conjuring the kind of excitement you get from speaking in front of a crowd) which is totally new. A little disappointed with the actual quality of the videos themselves as a requirement from DD.

Our virtual "booth" has produced some appointments and shows some promise for ROI. @Matthew Davis is hard at work on that. We as a company never actually boothed at DD so I can't make a direct comparison. But man, I miss physical shows and the by product of going to them. One of the challenges for us is that physical shows like DD brought a ton of existing clients together at one time, in one place. Not having that convenience is a bit of a challenge.

Looking forward to NADA 2023 when we can actually shake hands again.
Well said...
 
Here's what we at TradePending jotted down today after the show.

  • Virtual events need some sort of common area (an exhibit hall?) where people virtually gather to meet one another
  • Schedule a dry-run of your final presentation with the company running the event. We had some hiccups that could have been avoided if we did that
  • Having 6 simultaneous breakout sessions may work at a large in-person event, but seemed to really thin the herd at a virtual show
Thanks to everyone that posted their DDV Speaking information.

I too am curious to what attendees thought of the Virtual Conference.

Was it easy to attend the sessions?
Of the sessions that you attended, which was your favorite?
Virtual VS In-Person?
 
I will give the team at Digital Dealer a lot of credit for pivoting with these new circumstances! (y) Every time I reached out for a question, it was met with pleasantries and a willingness to take the ball, so I didn't have to worry about about it. An example would have been looping the Digital Dealer team on an email from attendees that were having difficulty logging in. Diane and Alissa were quick to respond right back to the attendee and get a resolution. In a few short months, with about half the staff, they provided a platform to bring the content to the marketplace. I am certain they will be looking at metrics and reviews over the course of this next month to determine the successes and struggles.

I, too, am missing the energy of the in person event itself! :nopity:

As a consultant now and with over 2 decades of front line automotive retail experience under my belt, there are many stores that can't afford both in staff shortages and financially to send someone out of the office for 4-5 days. These sessions being virtual allow attendees to rewatch the content which is available until November 7. That is especially impactful for dealers that wouldn't normally attend, plus you get the added bonus of not having to choose between two good sessions that are at the same time at the live event. You can have them all to yourself for 30 days! :heart:

Where the struggle can come in is keeping in the forefront of dealership staff that it doesn't get buried on the "to-do" list. Like many of them, I was busy with work this week and I would be one that has to go back and catch the sessions now after the event. A live conference does have a way of captivating your undivided attention. It will be interesting to see what marketing is done post event to continue to drive traffic to the sessions.

I will be excited to see reports on the metrics of my session as well as hear feedback about it! I'll be making some popcorn and posting up in front of my laptop this weekend checking out all the fun! Cheers friends!
 
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I will give the team at Digital Dealer a lot of credit for pivoting with these new circumstances! (y) Every time I reached out for a question, it was met with pleasantries and a willingness to take the ball, so I didn't have to worry about about it. An example would have been looping the Digital Dealer team on an email from attendees that were having difficulty logging in. Diane and Alissa were quick to respond right back to the attendee and get a resolution. In a few short months, with about half the staff, they provided a platform to bring the content to the marketplace. I am certain they will be looking at metrics and reviews over the course of this next month to determine the successes and struggles.

I, too, am missing the energy of the in person event itself! :nopity:

As a consultant now and with over 2 decades of front line automotive retail experience under my belt, there are many stores that can't afford both in staff shortages and financially to send someone out of the office for 4-5 days. These sessions being virtual allow attendees to rewatch the content which is available until November 7. That is especially impactful for dealers that wouldn't normally attend, plus you get the added bonus of not having to choose between two good sessions that are at the same time at the live event. You can have them all to yourself for 30 days! :heart:

Where the struggle can come in is keeping in the forefront of dealership staff that it doesn't get buried on the "to-do" list. Like many of them, I was busy with work this week and I would be one that has to go back and catch the sessions now after the event. A live conference does have a way of captivating your undivided attention. It will be interesting to see what marketing is done post event to continue to drive traffic to the sessions.

I will be excited to see reports on the metrics of my session as well as hear feedback about it! I'll be making some popcorn and posting up in front of my laptop this weekend checking out all the fun! Cheers friends!
Agreed @Jenna Dollinger-Smith! The team was very responsive.